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Trying to make your company stand out is a common issue. Whether it’s a small business trying to break through in a new industry, or a multi-national company looking for new ways to draw in more customers, getting noticed is something which all business strive for. One of the most popular methods successful businesses use to get noticed is with visual imagery as a form of advertising. Visual advertising comes in many forms; however, we’re going to focus on visual imagery which uses replica props as a focus.
What are replica props?
Replica props are an exact copy of a product that can be made to actual size or larger. Here at Spur Creative, we have created replica props for a wide variety of businesses. Replica props are often used in theatre to literally replicate an object, usually in a smaller form. Replica props can also be used by businesses to provide potential customers with a visual display of their products.
How can businesses use replica props to their advantage?
To improve brand awareness
One of the biggest benefits of using replica props is their ability to improve a business’ brand awareness. This can either be through leaving a visual memory in the mind of potential customers or through improving exposure on social media channels. One of our clients, Maelu Cafe have used replicas of their delicious macrons to increase exposure on social media through posting pictures such as this image below. The ‘fun factor’ of the image increases social media interaction, which in turn improves the exposure of the cafe and could lead to even more customers in the local area visiting the cafe. When customers visit the store, the large replicas can also leave a lasting memory in their minds, which means, when they next plan to visit a cafe in the local area, they will remember Maelu over their competitors. This is an unorthodox way to get ahead of your competition.
Replica props are also used by multi-national companies to promote their popular cereal Krave. We were asked to create a larger than life replica of a Kellogg’s product cereal box and Krave cereal pieces, which was to be installed at Alton Towers to promote a new ride which Kellogg’s had sponsored. The replica needed to be an exact match of their cereal packaging and instantly recognisable to theme park visitors. From detailed CAD drawings, we were able to perfectly re-create the packaging and cereal pieces to exact requirements.
Replica props offer a great, long-term alternative form of advertising which, in the long run, can be more inexpensive than traditional advertising techniques such as television, radio or newspapers. The maximum amount of time a business usually runs an advert of this type is around 3 months. However, with a replica prop, it can continue to promote and advertise your business for years.
To promote a new product
When it comes to promoting a new product, it’s important to maximise the exposure to both existing and new customers. A new product simply isn’t going to sell if nobody knows that it exists. You need to get the product in front of the eyes of potential customers. Using a replica prop of the new product can be a great addition to your marketing strategy. Large, successful businesses know that it’s important to leave an imprint of their product in the eyes of the customer. At Spur Creative, we are constantly working with businesses on creating replicas of their products. A replica product in a popular resort like Alton Towers is a great way to promote a product directly to a specific target market.
Large-scale replica products can help to promote your product to a wide audience. Whatever the product, our team of creative experts pride themselves on being able to complete a job to the highest standards. By using a large replica of a product, potential customers are likely to remember the product the next time they visit a store.
Using replica props at business stands
Marketing stands can be a great, affordable way of drawing in new customers who are interested in your industry. Stands can be effective when displayed at exhibitions or conferences because it is highly likely that the audience will have a direct interest in your industry, with a willingness to engage with you. However, it can be tricky to draw in the crowds, especially when there are rival businesses competing right next to you.
Replica props can be a great way of making your business stall stand out at a busy conference or exhibition. Often, visitors to the exhibition will find it difficult to remember particular aspects of your stall. In one example, a water purification company asked us to create a large tap to help their exhibition stall stand out from their competitors. The client was really happy with the finished product and the stand went down a treat at the exhibition. This project is one of our biggest success stories.
Using replicas in shop window displays
Shop window displays are a major influencing factor in determining whether potential customers visit your store or whether they simply walk past. Often small retailers are guilty of displaying boring, uninspired displays which fail to attract visitors. It’s important that your shop window draws the attention of potential customers. One great way to brighten up any window is to add props that help to create a visual theme. This is a simple way to make your shop window look more interesting to potential customers. Spur Creative are highly experienced in producing props for various well known brands such as Ralph Lauren, Marks & Spencer, Next and Topman. Contact us today to discover how we can help to improve your shop window display.
What types of replica props can Spur Creative design?
Whatever the product or concept, it’s very likely that our design experts will be able to create an exact replica to your requirements. Our creative process begins by looking at the design from either a 2D perspective with hand drawings, 3-D artwork or even from something as simple as photographs of a product. Following on from initial ideas, our design team works out the best way to manufacture the prop then our team of prop makers, carpenters, metal workers and painters make it happen.
